


In the Eyes of One

by tattooed324b21



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: Character Death, F/F, Grief/Mourning, Heavy Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-11-16 17:46:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11257803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tattooed324b21/pseuds/tattooed324b21
Summary: "When a loved one dies, they live on forever in your heart."





	In the Eyes of One

Riley wakes up dead. She doesn't understand at first. Shes sitting in a chair in a hospital, and in front of her is... Her. Her mother and father are crying over her body, and she watches in utter confusion. She gets up, walks around the room and tries to figure out whats going on. "Mom, dad? Whats wrong?" She says behind them. Neither of them move to look at her, so she moves to the other side of the bed. She gasps at the sight. That is definitely her on the bed, bloody and unmoving. That's definently her, and she's definently dead.

 

"I've gotta get home." She says to herself, not being able to stand being in the room any longer. No one seems to notice her as she rushes through the hospital lobby. And she tries to pretend she didn't see herself dead.

When she gets home, she notices everything seems... Gray. The usually lively and colorful household seems to be missing a certain essence. She rushes to her room and notices nothing has changed. _Nothing_ has changed. Her bed even remains unmade. "Didn't I make that up this morning?" Shes says to herself. She tries to remember her morning but she can't. "This morning..." She mutters. "Why cant I remember this morning?"

She tries to remember that last thing she did before randomly appearing in the hospital. "I woke up and got dressed... I went to school..." Rileys memories are a jumbled mess in her mind and she groans in annoyance. "Why can't I remember?" She groans again. Just then, Riley hears the fron door open and she definitely hears footsteps. She rushes out of her room to ask her parents for an explanation. 

"Mom! Dad! Whats going on?" She ask desperately. They tiredly trudge into their room, ignoring Riley completely. She rushes into the room after them. "Mom? Dad? Please tell me whats going on?" She begs, and she feels her eyes starting to tear up as she starts to suspect what might be happening. Theyre both gray and Riley knows why they're upset. She walks over to her father and kneels beside him. He doesnt even flinch, looking up at the ceiling with unblinking eyes. "Daddy. Im right here." She whispers. "Im right here."

He looks relieved for a second and Riley thinks maybe she heard him, but he doesnt turn to look at her, but instead to look at her mother. "Shes always gonna be right here." Cory croaks. Topanga nods and turns over, shoving her face in a pillow.

"No, I'm always gonna be right here! Here, I'm here!" Riley cries. The only sound she gets in return is a sniffle from her mother. "You know, I can almost feel her presence." She says, and Cory chuckles in response. "Yeah, you're right." He says. 

"Topanga, we'll get through this." He assures her. He presses his lips to her forehead and they lay in silence together. Riley fiercely wipes away her tears and leaves the room.

"Auggie, where's little Auggie?" She thinks suddenly. She looks in his room to find its empty. 'Ava' she thinks. 'He could be at Avas.' Just as soon as she has the thought, Auggie enters with Ava and her mom. Auggie doesn't acknowledge her as he sits down on the couch and puts his head in his hands. 

"Whats wrong Auggie?" Ava asks. He shrugs. "I haven't seen my sister in awhile." He says quietly. "And I'm worried i might never see her again. They told me she had an accident."

Ava sits on the couch next to him and shoos her mother away. "Well, I havent seen my daddy in awhile. Do you think she might've left like he did?" She asks. Riley feels her heart breaking watching the scene unfold, but cant find the energy to move from her corner or look away.

"Riley wouldn't ever leave, she loves me." Auggie says. Just as he says it, his parents come out of their room. "We heard you out here talking about Riley." Topanga says, and its very evident that shes trying her best not to cry again.

"Did Riley leave like Avas dad?" Auggie asks. Cory shakes his head. "No bubba. Riley is, um. She's with Mrs. Svorski." Cory explains the best he can. "So, Rileys in heaven?" He asks. Cory nods and shuts his eyes for a moment. "Yeah, shes in heaven." Riley bites her lip and the tears are here again.

"So I'll never see her again?" Auggie says lowly. He waits for an answer but it doest come. Both of his parents are doing their best to stay strong for him, and Ava steps in.

"Auggie, you may not be able to see her, but you can still talk to her." She informs him. He looks at her with peaked interest. "Like prayer?" He asks, and she nods.

Shawn and Eric rush into the home and they both look frantic. Eric is actually dressed normal for once and she can tell they know somethings wrong. Riley feels her heart clench in her chest. She finally moves front her spot in the back corner of the room, desperately trying to get someones attention, but she's invisible to them.

"We came as fast as we could, Hows Riley?" Shawn asks. Cory look up at him and doesn't say a word, and he knows. Shawn sits next to Cory on the already overcrowded couch and takes a deep breath, throwing his arm across his best friends shoulders to comfort him. No one speaks for awhile. Ava gives Auggie a small pat on the back and her and her mother  leave. Eric takes a seat on the edge of the couch and now everyone is seated, with Auggie on Corys lap.

"Six in the morning. Seven pounds, four ounces, twenty one inches." Shawn recites. He thinks of the christmas Riley forced him to sit down and rethink his life. "She's brave." He adds. Everyone nods to themselves respectively.

"Because of her, every day i can work to change the world." Eric says solemnly. Riley gives up on trying to get there attention, and instead sits down to hear what they have to say about her. Eric closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and opens them again. "Bubba, why dont you go to your room?" Cory suggest. Auggie nods and presses two quick kisses to his mothers and fathers cheeks before silently leaving.

"How do things like this happen to people like her?" Shawn says almost angrily. The lack of children now allowed him to show his true emotions. "It wasn't anyone fault." Cory breaths. Shawn taps his foot impatiently, as if he's trying to think of someone to blame. 

"Yeah." He murmurs eventually, but the foot doesn't stop. A deafening silence blankets the room.

Riley tries to think again, tries to remember, and this time she can see something through a haze of memories. She's at a party, definitely. They're outside... Roof. They're on the roof. She's sitting somewhere.... Somewhere. Until she isn't. And then the hospital. There's nothing in between.

Eventually the silence is replaced with a civil conversation. Shawn mentions hell be moving back into the city. "She wouldve wanted me here for you two during this time." He says. Riley smiles and gets up to hug him, only to find he can't feel her arms wrapped tightly around him, not in the slightest. Riley wonders if she can interact with objects so she can make her presence known and gets up to find something. She decides to start small and try to pick up the small pen on the table. It seems to react to her, but she cant quite manage to pick it up. 

"What about her room?" Eric asks. Topangas head drops she rubs her eyes. "Um, I don't think we're quite ready to even go in there yet." She says in a cracked voice. Cory places a supportive hand on her back, rubbing soothing circles into it.

After that the conversation steers in different directions, not specifically on Riley but definitely not avoiding her. Eric mentions he'll be in town for as long as he's wanted. Throughout the entire conversation, Riley sits cross legged on the floor in front of them, listening.

The next morning Riley gets up to go to school, only to remember she can't. But she does wonder if her father will go, and gets up to see what he's doing.

"Everyones gonna understand if you dont go." Topanga tells him. He nods, still getting ready. "I know they will. But that's not why I'm going." He replies. She sits up to look at him. "Then why are you going?" She asks. He sighs. "Those kids lost a friend. Each and ever one of them. I just want to talk to them about it. Then I'll take some time off." He says. Topanga seems satisfied with his answer, giving him a small smile before laying back down.

The first thing she notices when she enter the classroom is that Maya isn't there. Cory notices too and points at her empty seat, silently asking for an explanation. 

"You really thought she'd be here?" Lucas asks. He shakes his head and sits behind his desk. "I wouldve be surprised if she was." He says.

Riley slides into her desk. No one notices her.

"Are we learning today?" Zay asks. Cory shakes his head. "No we're not. Today, we're talking. Having a conversation." He nods. Farkle raises his hand to speak.

"No lesson on how to handle this?" He asks. Cory looks over at him and gives him a comforting smile. "You handle things like this by talking and letting your emotions out. Let it known how you feel to yourself, and to others."

Farkle nods and thinks for a moment. "Well, I feel angry. Things like this shouldn't be able to happen to people like her." He says. Cory nods. "You're not the only one. What you need to remember is that things like this are no one fault." He repeats the line and Farkle nods. 

"I feel vulnerable." Zay pipes up. "I think we all do." He adds when Farkle turns to look at him. Lucas shakes his head and looks down at his desk.

"How do you feel, Mr. Friar?" Cory asks, walking over to him.

"I... I don't know how I feel." He grumbles. Cory nods. "And you're not the only one. Anyone don't know how to feel?" Cory asks. Five or six hands go up around the room. "What about anger? Who feels angry?" He says, encouraging participation. Five hands go up.

"When do you think she'll come back, sir?" Farkle asks, looking where Maya should be. Cory looks at Mayas empty desk, and sighs. 

"I don't know." He says.

***

Days go by and Riley is lonelier that ever. She notices when she lays down to sleep, she doesn't actually, and she never feels hunger. Soon she has to face what shes been avoiding. "Im definitely a ghost." She mutters.  Its odd. She cant touch things when she really wants to, but cant fully grasp anything. When she concentrates, she can walk through walls. But other than that, she realy doesn't understand any of it. And she can't continue on like this.

And then the oddest thing happens. She gets out of bed in the morning and theres a message in her head. She cant see it, just hear it.

_You're not finished here_

The odd message plays over and over in her head before fading away. 

Okay. So she's not done here. But what is their to do? She managed to say goodbye to everyone. She always left her friends with a nice goodbye. And there's only so much a 15 year old girl can have unfinished. No secrets, no hidden passageways that lead to some secret treasure she owns, no nothing. Maybe she's supposed to comfort everyone who's mourning her. Except she can't interact with them in any way. She's seen everyone, but no ones seen her.

 

Well, not everyone.

 

No, she can't do that. She can't stand to see her family mourning like this, sure, but the one person she doesn't want to see beaten up over this is Maya. Her best friend, she's probably absolutely crushed about this. and it pains Riley to think Mayas upset over her, but she knows she'll feel worse seeing her upset and not being able to comfort her.

 

Days pass and she hasn't seen Maya, but she's definitely heard about her.

 

"Katy says she's pretty messed up. She barely sleeps or eat, just lays around all day, and she doesn't have the heart to make her get up. I mean, she definetly loved Riley more than anyone."

 

It's those words that break her. She has to see her, she has to. So Riley goes into Maya's home that day. No ones home when she gets there, so she goes into Maya's room and waits on her bed.

 

Where could she be? Riley hung out with Maya every day for years, she knew her schedule better than her own. Maya had no reason to be out this late. Never. She knew where Katy was. At Topangas, working a late shift. Not because she had to, no. Her mother paid her more than most waitresses. She's heard from her mother the other day that Katy preferred being at the diner than home now. Apparently it reminded her of Riley, and how many happy days she's spent there. Katy loved her more than she knew in her lifetime.

 

It's the sound of a lock clicking that knocks Riley out of her dad thoughts. She mentally prepared herself to see what Maya has become. 

 

When her bedroom door opens, nothing can prepare her for what she sees.

 

"Riley?" Maya says immediately. Her tired eyes open in surprise to see her best friend, who she was quite sure had died last week, sitting on the edge of her bed staring at her.

 

Riley is shocked to say the least. This can't be possible, can it?

 

Maya lunges forward and wraps her arms around Riley in a hug.

 

"It's you, it's really you." She sobs into her shoulder. Riley feels the warmth of Maya pressed against her and immediately pulls her closer. It's a warmth she didn't have anymore, and desperately missed. Maya smells like rain and she inhaled deeply, honestly too overwhelmed to do anything else in the moment. Maya pushed Riley down so she was laying down and crawled on top of her, and completely lost control in the moment and kissed her.


End file.
